American Association for Aerosol Research - Abstract Submission

AAAR 37th Annual Conference
October 14 - October 18, 2019
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA

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Identification and Quantification of Personal Care Product Emissions Indoors during Exercise by GC-Vocus PTR-ToF

Zachary Finewax, Megan Claflin, Demetrios Pagonis, Andrew Jensen, Olivia Jenks, Brian Lerner, Shelly Miller, Jose-Luis Jimenez, PAUL ZIEMANN, Joost de Gouw, University of Colorado

     Abstract Number: 646
     Working Group: The Air We Breathe: Indoor Aerosol Sources and Chemistry

Abstract
Humans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. However, most air quality research has focused on the outdoor environment. Previous research has shown that the volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations found in various indoor environments are comparable to polluted cities and megacities, and a significant fraction of these VOCs comes from application of personal care products. These products are known to be significant sources of monoterpenes, cyclic siloxanes and oxygenated VOCs that efficiently form secondary organic aerosol (SOA) through gas phase reactions with ozone and OH radicals. For various reasons, the speciation of monoterpenes and other oxygenates is not fully included in the chemical inventory, making it difficult to constrain SOA formation from personal care product emissions indoors and outdoors.

To address these and other issues, the ATHLETIC Indoor Campaign was conducted in the Dal Ward Athletic Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder from November 1 – 19 2018. A Vocus PTR-ToF was deployed to measure VOCs released from student athletes exercising in the weight room. The Vocus was either sampling the room continuously at 1 second time resolution or equipped with a GC to separate and identify product ion signals. The Vocus measurements alternated measuring the weight room and supply air on a 5-10 minute interval to determine the VOC enhancements within the room.

Monoterpenes, cyclic siloxanes, and oxygenated VOCs were identified and quantified. These emissions were determined to come from personal care products, as they displayed a different temporal profile than common VOCs from breath, such as acetone. Personal care product emission rates were highest during the morning workouts, consistent with patterns of showering or applying deodorant after waking. The speciation of monoterpenes to better constrain SOA formation indoors by reaction with ozone will be discussed.